Alajuela is very close to the airport and more and more visitors look for accommodations here. Especially in the lower price range added a lot of cheap hotels and hostels. For the start of the Costa Rica travel with rental car or privat shuttle bus is Alajuela an excellent base. Most public buses to the travel destinations start from San Jose. You can catch the bus by the way but it's often full and it's recommended to go to San Jose first.